Ces molécules qui éveillent nos papilles

The sense of taste is a chemical sense and one of the most ancestral sensory modalities. It allows detectingand appreciating taste molecules present in our food. Beyond our vital needs, the pleasure elicited from whatwe eat can drive our feeding behaviors sometimes up to excess. Food intake involves several sensorysystems, mainly smell and taste. The underlying molecular mechanisms are relatively complex. This articlefocuses on the extent of the chemical space associated with the five primary tastes (sour, salty, sweet, bitterand umami), and details the fundamental role of gustatory receptors in the perception of taste as well aswithin interindividual variabilities.